Services

The Molecular Screening Shared Resource (MSSR) provides three types of screens: small molecule, yeast genomic and siRNA. Each screen represents one unit of service, which includes the following:

Assay development and consultation: MSSR provides expert technical assistance for the design and execution of high throughput screening (HTS). Pre-existing assays can be miniaturized and adapted to HTS. Alternatively, MSSR will assist in de novo design of assays. Assay development includes validation using MSSR equipment and pilot runs.

High throughput technology and instrumentation: initial HTS screens take advantage of automated equipment, much of which is integrated into a single robotics system.

Access to libraries: total collection of small molecules currently available through the MSSR totals ~70,000 unique compounds. In addition, the MSSR has recently purchased siRNA libraries from Dharmacon representing the druggable genomes (~7,000 genes) from both human and mouse (four duplexes/gene). Yeast knockout collections are also available.

Hit validation and follow up: following initial screening, compounds that show activity are cherry-picked and re-tested in secondary assays. Based on these results, MSSR staff work with users to identify the best "hits" for follow up (i.e., dose-response). Additional consultation includes identification of pre-existing compounds for initial structure-activity-relationship (SAR) and/or acting as liaisons with Division of Chemistry faculty for custom synthesis of modified compounds and SAR.

Operating Policies

The goal of the MSSR is to provide small molecule chemical libraries that will be screened by multiple investigators from different disciplines on campus. The resource will screen thousands of chemicals in large groups to determine which compounds have the potential to disrupt the abnormal cell signaling that serves as the flashpoint for cancer. The MSSR has purchased existing chemical libraries, will tap into UCLA-established libraries and will also develop new libraries in conjunction with UCLA chemists.